Vehicle body



vJune 19, 192s. A

` 1,673,853 A. H. WALKER 4 VEHICLE BODY Filed 00# 2. 1924 Patented `lune 19, 1928.

UNITED STA-res i 1,673,853 PATENT y OFFICE, f

ALBERT H. WALKER, 0F KENILWORTH, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 CHARLES TORRES WEYMANN, OF PARIS, FRANCE. f

AVEHICLEl BODY.

Application filed October 2, 1924, Serial No. 741,095, and in Great Britain October 3, 1923.

This invention relates to bodies for automobiles and the like, and more particularly to that type of flexible body which is designed to warp or weave with the chassis frame body. Heretofore in this type.` of body, such as the well-known Weymanii body (disclosed in U. S. Patent No..l',519,- 093, granted December 9, 1924), it was thought necessary to avoid curved or rounded corners or angles, suoli as between the top, back and sides of the bodies, and the bodies were designed along straight line principles, sharp corners and angles being formed between the top, back and sides of the vehicle body. y a

The principal object 'of this invention is to provide a construction whereby lthe flexible type of body may be provided with corners of curved or rounded contour, without impairiiig or interfering with the flexi-y bility of the body. To this end, I provide in my preferred form of embodiment, rigid corner posts which are so formed as to provide for the rounded contour between the top, sides and back and also between the sides and the back, the upper ends of the posts being spherical to give the corners a domed contour.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the rear partof the skeleton frame of a. flexible body showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same; Fig. Bfis a plan elevation 'of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing a form of Veymann joint.

In the drawings, I have represented the side sills 5 of the chassis frame somewhat diagrammatically. Arranged transversely to, and secured on, these side sills are a plurality of spacedv transverse base members 6.` As in the Weymann body, ,the skeleton frame is built up on these transverse Supporting pieces andthe various pieces of the skeleton are flexibly connected together' so that the body is free torweav'e and warp with the chassis frame. In the drawings, I have shown only the rear portion of the skeleton f frame in order to illustrate the preferred form of embodiment of myV invention and the general construct-ion of the flexible body will be understood from the following description of my improvement.

Each of the corner posts comprises a vertical side member or piece 8 and a. vertical rear piece 9 which a-refcurved inwardly at their upper ends and rigidlyr connected together from top to b'ottom'by a metal plate 10, preferably formed of aluminum and suiciently `rigid so that the two posts 8 and 9 and the plate form a rigid unit. The upper end rofl the plate is somewhat spherical or dome-shaped', and below the dome contour the plate is curved transversely in order` that` the rear corners of the body mayf'have a curved contour, while the sidesof the top aie also curved and merge into the sides of the body. The upper ends of the vertical pieces 8 and 9 of each post contact with` each other but the lower end of the vertical piece 9 is preferably spaced from the lower end of the companion piece 8 'and from the rear transverse piece 6. The lower ends of the vertical. pieces 9 of the two posts are spaced aparty by a connecting piecel 12 the ends of which are flexibly `connected to the lower ends of the pieces 9 by means of the thin sheet-metal plates or brackets 13, which constitutel the well-known Weyinann forni of connection, these connections being designed to permit each piece of the body to be moved relative to the adjoining pieces when the body moves. The upper ends of the post-s are; connected bythe usual metal plates 14, (like plates 13) to the ends of the transverse piece 15. The rear veitical pieces 9 by the same type of cone nections.l

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated, on an entending therethrough. `In this figure, partV of the metal plate 13a is shown broken away to show part of the other metal plate 13bv in dotted lines.

The various other framey members and parts.. such as thc top side rail 17, the intermediate side piece 18, and the wheel arch window frame 16 is also iieXibly mounted on the,

l larged and exaggerated scale, a form of l/ieymann flexible connection, and as shown rail 19, are flexibly connected to the vertical piece 8, as shown in Fig. 1. The wheel arch rail 19 is provided witha panel 20, preferably formed of metal, which is rigidly secured to it and to a bottom piece 21.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that the corner posts are so constructed that each corner post forms aV rigid unit and affords the construction of a flexible body designed along the desired curved lines. These posts are flexibly connected to the other parts of the body so that they do not interfere with the weaving or warping action of the body.

I claim:

1-` In a road motor vehicle body constructed to weave with the chassis frame, the combination of a skeleton frame comprising vertical members and connecting members joined thereto, each member being movable relative to the adjoining members, and corner posts each consisting of twio spaced apart pieces united together to form a rigid unit with the adj oining` pieces of the skeleton frame movable relative thereto.

2. In a roar motor vehicle body constructed to weave with the chassis frame, the combination of a skeleton frame comprising ver tical members and connecting members joined thereto, each member being movable relative to the adjoining members, and c0rner posts each consisting of two spaced-apart pieces and a plate connecting said pieces to form a rigid unit.

3. In a road motor vehicle body construct ed to weave with the chassis fram-e, the coinbination of corner posts each consisting of two spaced-apart pieces connected together to form a rigid unit, connecting pieces between the posts, means for flexibly connecting said connecting pieces to the posts, side pieces,

and means for flexibly connecting said side pieces to the posts.

1; In a road motor vehicle body constructed to weave with thc chassis frame, the coin- `bination of corner posts cach comprising a :rigid unit., a i'ear connecting piece between said posts, means for flexibly connecting said connecting' piece to said posts, side pieces, and means for flexibly connecting said side pieces to said posts.

5. In a road motor vehicle body construct edito weavewith the chassis, the combination of a rear transverse piece secured to the chassis, vertical side pieces, means flexibly connect-ing the lower ends of said vertical side pieces to said transverse piece, two

vertical rear pieces having their lower ends spaced from said transverse piece andl said vertical side pieces, means for rididly connecting eac-h vertical side piece and its adjacent vertical rear piece together lto forma rigid unit, a connecting piece between said vertical rear pieces, means for flexibly con- .necting said connecting piece to said vertical rear pieces, side pieces, and `means for flexibly connecting said side pieces to said vertical side pieces.

6. In a road motor vehicle body constructed to weave with the chassis frame, the combination of a rear transverse piece secured Ato the chassis, vertical sideA pieces, means flexibly connecting the lower ends of said vertical side pieces to said transverse piece, two vertical rear pieces having their lower ends spaced from said transverse lpiece and said vertical side pieces,.a curved plate with a spherical contour at its upper end and rigidly connecting leach vertical side piece and its adjacent vertical rear piece vto form a rigid post, other pieces of the skeleton frame, and means for flexiblyv vconnecting said other pieces to said posts.

7. In a ioad motor vehicle body constructed to weave with the chassis frame, the coinbination of a skeleton frame `comprising vertical vpieces and connecting piecesk `joined c the adjoining` pieces, and rigid corner posts each comprising two spaced-apart pieces, a

`window frame supported between said posts, and means for flexibly connecting saidl win-v dow frame to said posts. y l

S. In a road vehicle body constructed toH weave with the chassis frame, the combination of a skeleton frame comprising 'vertical members and connecting members joined thereto, each member being movable relative to the adjoining members, and corner posts each consisting of two spaced apart pieces and a curved plate extending the length of the pieces and rigidly connected thereto `to form a rigid unit, the adjoiningv pieces of the skeleton frame being movable relative thereto.

9. In a road motor vehicle body construct ed to weave with the chassis'fraine,.the combination of a skeleton fraine'comprising vertical members and connect-ing members joined thereto, each member being` movable relative to the adjoining members, and corner posts each consisting oftwo spaced apartvertical pieces having their upper endsunit.

ALBERT H. WALKER 

